Buprenorphine for Chronic Pain User Reviews (Page 5)

• Apatt
• May 1, 2016

Butrans (buprenorphine) "I have been on Butrans for 3 days. On day 2, I woke up pain-free. I have spinal stenosis, degenerative disk disease, and herniated disks L4-S1. I have been receiving injections in my spine for a year and a half and taking Norco 10 every 4 hours, combined with muscle relaxers. I am a nurse, and I work on my feet 36 hours a week. I have felt better the last 2 days than I have felt in a long time. My husband is very active, as I was before my back injury—running, weights, rowing—and today, for the first time in a very long time, I asked him to take me hiking. I feel like Butrans is a lifesaver! But again, it's only day 3, so far no side effects!!"

• Phq
• June 8, 2019

Belbuca (buprenorphine) "I’ve been on Belbuca for three months, and it’s not working, it hasn’t helped at all. They want to treat me like an addict. I’ve been on Xtampza 27 mg a little over a year with Oxycodone 10 mg for breakthrough. It works great, and I have had my life back. Before I was on Percocet 10/325, and my life was hell. It helped with pain but made me miserable. The Xtampza gives the same meds, Oxycodone, but over a 12-hour period. This Belbuca doesn’t do anything for the pain, as a matter of fact, it makes it worse. So, Monday I’m taking my prescriptions back to the doctors on Monday and stopping all meds cold turkey. They started me on Belbuca 150 mg, then 300 mg, now 450 mg, but I’m not even going to waste my money on it. I have a Neurostimulator for five years. I’m going to just going to suffer and rely on the Neurostimulator."

• Love...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• November 14, 2013

Butrans (buprenorphine) "Butrans 20mg gave me my life back. The side effects are nothing compared to how I feel now being on this patch. Don't have the drowsy side effects that all the pills give a person. Now every so often I get what the doctor calls breakthrough pain, then I take pills like Norco, Metaxalone, Indomethacin, etc. Honestly, I take Indomethacin every night before bedtime, love those also. All I know is before the patches, I was on the couch all day every day."

• Anon...
• May 27, 2015

Butrans (buprenorphine) "I've been a chronic pain patient for about ten years. Tried Vicodin, Percocet, Fentanyl, and Tramadol separately and combined with just marginal results. My body always felt off taking these meds. Stomach issues, aches that weren't there before. The best results I've got with pills were Suboxone or Subutex and felt good about the opportunity to FINALLY try Butrans patches. The 10mcg Butrans patch really made a positive difference with my body chemistry. No problems with the adhesive, no weird body feelings, just sweet relief. When I forgot to change the patch after seven days and the medication wore off... I could really feel what the Butrans patch was doing for me."

• Kirst
• January 15, 2013

Subutex (buprenorphine) "I was on Buprenorphine for 13 months for fibromyalgia after 2 car accidents. It did help and relieve a lot of my pain, but at first, I was so drowsy, I was falling asleep while driving. Also, the withdrawals from this medication can last for weeks."

• Hum
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 14, 2014

Butrans (buprenorphine) "Excellent pain relief, but the side effects made it impossible to continue using it. My dosage was 10mcg. Severe hypersensitivity reactions within two weeks and had to go to ER three times and doctor twice, because of horrible allergic reactions: facial swelling, throat swelling and raw to the point of barely able to swallow and unable to speak, blood pressure and pulse skyrocketed, had to use Epi pen twice in 24-hours, scary. If a person doesn't have side effects with the patch, the pain relief is excellent. If a person has potentially life-threatening side effects, as I did, the fact that the patch is providing pain relief is irrelevant."

• Erika...
• June 1, 2013

Butrans (buprenorphine) "I've had 2 surgeries, nerve stimulant, injections, nerve burns, Physical Therapy, chiro, acupuncture, and every medicine made. With 4 kids, I have to be able to drive, think and function. I have severe sciatica, hip & back pain. I am bone on bone with a rupture at L3/L4 and after the failed nerve stimulation my only option is fusion from L3 to S1 - NOT an option. I started Butrans about 6 months ago on 10 and moved to 20. I change every 5 days - my doctor wrote it that way - it wears off after 5. My pain breaks through some - but I have Norco which is less effective on the patch. It has to be put on carefully, precisely, & it itches, creates a slight rash and it occasionally comes off but I can't live without it. I don't feel high, I just feel relief."

• Misha
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 6, 2019

Belbuca (buprenorphine) "I have used a 150 film for a few months now, previous were the patches, which ate holes in my skin and made me feel terrible. Previous to that, everything since 3 accidents since 2004, with serious injuries. I was lastly on oxycodone 90 mg a day, what a nightmare. I could not function, did not want to see anyone or go anywhere for over 4 years, lost all savings, could not work, and was in despair and felt like a drug addict. I now am back to work, have great energy, am happy, around 60% less pain daily, can sleep, etc. It has made life worth living again. ***My doctor will not move up my dosage, however, I feel that if it was up 33%, it would be very helpful. Does anyone know the reason for this? ***He did have me put the film in my cheek and hold it for 5 seconds with my tongue. I have had no problem with getting the film to stay properly."

• burke...
• October 15, 2019

Belbuca (buprenorphine) "First, I would like to preface this review with one caveat: it is like most meds, what works on one individual doesn't mean it will work for another. This med works great for me! I suffered a closed head trauma and damaged my spine from top to bottom all at one time. I've been on MS Contin 60 mg, three times a day, Roxicodone for breakthrough pain. Then to Butrans 20 mcg/hr, 7-day transdermal for a year and a half, it wasn't strong enough. Then to Fentanyl at 100 mcg/hr, 3-day transdermal, and it didn't cut it. Back to Butrans 20 mcg/hr. Enter Belbuca: I take a mixed dose of 300 mcg at night and 450 during the day. It does give me sleep disruption, up at 4:00 AM like clockwork, that does suck. Even with this as a detractor, I wouldn't change for that, being I haven't felt this good in 15 years. PS: I take Butorphanol 10 ml/10 mg for migraines with an aggressive treatment option, as well for PTSD/night terrors. Currently, I take 18 medications to manage my issues."

• EdInH...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 17, 2017

Belbuca (buprenorphine) "At 45 - 2 bulging cervical disks (C2, C4), stenosis with radiculopathy into my trachea. Very strange and unbelievably painful. 4 years, tons of epidurals, physical therapy, hot packs and, yes, pain meds. This one is a winner with a giant caveat. First Narco, then Percocet, then OxyContin, then Zohydro, then... back to Narco. Not fun. BELBUCA: It works... well enough. You have ZERO euphoria or any druggie feeling - you can function and be productive. The pain-blocking sensation that a true opioid provides is there. My only gripe is the tiny 12 hr “mouth patch” itself. This is a disaster and has caused several destroyed patches that refused to insert and stick to finger. HUGELY frustrating. Will not properly dose unless applied perfectly."

• Jam
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• July 6, 2019

Butrans (buprenorphine) "Butrans saved my life and enabled me to function with severe chronic pain, type 1 diabetes, and fibromyalgia. Been on max 20 mcg/hr for several years now. Have terrible sensitivity to patch adhesive, so spray Flovent (puffer) on skin prior to applying patch and all good! Ask your doc for off-label use of Flovent if you get severe itch - I was scratching my skin raw."

• MSr
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 11, 2018

Belbuca (buprenorphine) "I have been on and with the same pain management clinic for over 14 years. Due to chronic pain and from multiple spinal surgeries, I have been on a strict regimen of Norco for many years. Recently, in September of 2018, the pain management clinic said that due to strict government guidelines, they must wean all of their patients off all types of opioids. They had decided to place me on Belbuca, buprenorphine sublingual oral patches. Within a few days, I was experiencing nausea and fatigue, so severe that I had to take leave from my job for days."

• QQqGeno...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 22, 2019

Belbuca (buprenorphine) "I have several chronic pain conditions as I suffer from chronic fibromyalgia, chronic migraine, and spinal stenosis. I was prescribed Belbuca at my new PM (pain management) clinic by a doctor of anesthesiology specializing in pain management. He has started me at 150 mg twice a day and recommended reducing my Lyrica slowly because I've been on such a high dose. The prior PM clinic had me on oxycodone 5 mg 3X a day and 150 mg of Lyrica 4X a day for several years, barely providing relief. Therefore, I highly recommend Belbuca as it has reduced my pain tremendously with no need for breakthrough meds like oxycodone. I feel no side effects, and I felt pain relief after my second dose. I am very happy, and I'm very surprised. This medication actually works for my continual pain management. I would suggest if you are a chronic pain patient that you ask your doctor about trying Belbuca."

• JMC
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• March 7, 2020

Subutex (buprenorphine) "Was prescribed morphine, oxycodone, and oxymorphone for several years for injury, went through a divorce and lost my insurance. My psychiatrist put me on Subutex, and it literally saved my life! It really helps my pain, and I have no withdrawal symptoms whatsoever! It’s a wonder medication. I’m prescribed 8 mg BID if that helps."

• jetson
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• April 23, 2021

Belbuca (buprenorphine) "Belbuca is the absolute worst pain medication I've ever had. People on these reviews can say all they want about how great this medicine works, but I can tell you from a past of taking many different pain medications that Belbuca does not work well at all. Trust me, I know what a good pain medicine is, and it is for sure not Belbuca. It is a complete joke forced on us because of the government. People with pain want a drug that works so they can get their life back, not some government-forced drug that's supposed to be less addictive that does nothing at all. It's so stupid, and a lot of people are suffering for it."

• Anony...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 6, 2015

Subutex (buprenorphine) "This did work for very severe back pain. It lasted for about half a year. Then I changed to 20 mg oxy twice a day. These have now failed. I'm now going back to Subutex. When it works, it is very, very good. Long-term, no idea."

• Arrow...
• August 23, 2014

Butrans (buprenorphine) "This medication was fantastic for relieving pain. It was more effective than oxycodone or hydrocodone. I had absolutely no side effects but one. The one side effect was just too much to deal with. Basically, this medication took away all libido and initiative and motivation. On the positive side, it made me feel relaxed, sedated, and a sense of well-being with absolute 100% pain relief at all times, but I may as well have been a zombie. This medication made me not care about much. Normally having a high sex drive, I had no libido at all, lost complete interest in my salsa dance lessons, and zero interest in going out. That's not living life. I prefer to stick to my hydros in that case."

• 61yo ...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• February 18, 2016

Subutex (buprenorphine) "I took Subutex after my breast cancer surgery along with 800 mg Motrin. It worked very well, the pain level got to around a 2 on the pain scale. I'm presently on it now, I have 3 crushed lumbar vertebrae along with CA. I'm comfortable. I only wish this had been around 30 years ago. Thanks."

• bionic...
• February 14, 2013

Butrans (buprenorphine) "After more than a year of asking for extended relief (and moving up to 60mg Percocet with 40mg Flexeril), I was barely able to cook a meal, take a shower, anything that required standing. I was skeptical at first, but (hopefully I'm not jinxing myself), the addition of the Butrans patch for me has been life-changing. I often skip my oral doses, and I cooked two Christmas dinners. I cleaned my house, and right now I'm painting a bathroom and bedroom, a few hours at a time."

• Sthelen
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 10, 2019

Belbuca (buprenorphine) "Worthless!! Did absolutely nothing. Messed with the hydrocodone I am taking. Pain is far worse, and my entire body is messed up. Don't know what the doctor was thinking, but this medication does not work for controlling pain."

• Relief
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• February 13, 2019

Belbuca (buprenorphine) "I've been on Belbuca for about 6 months. I do feel like it helps most of the time. I'm given a few Tylenol 3 a month for breakthrough pain. Belbuca works better for me than just pills. It did take a while to get used to being able to keep the patch in place, and it can be an inconvenience because I can't talk for about 15 minutes, or it will not stay in place. I do not eat or drink for at least 30 minutes to make sure it has dissolved fully. The best thing for me is there is no high feeling. I just feel normal. My only concern is after the coupon runs out, how much will it cost me? The cost is 50 dollars a month now, and that seems expensive enough."

• Lolas...
• September 11, 2013

Butrans (buprenorphine) "I loved this at first. I was able to leave it on for the full 7 days. The longer I left it on, my skin started to itch. Now, still trying to use it because it works so well, I can only leave it on for about 3 days before my skin is totally broken out. I am so disappointed because I'd rather not take pills."

• Lynn
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 9, 2019

Butrans (buprenorphine) "I used the generic Butrans patch for 3 weeks due to my insurance co-pays. Each week, after 24 hours of applying the patch, the adhesive broke loose from the skin, and the patch was rendered useless. I eventually taped the patch to my arm but did not receive the full effect of the patch's medication. My pain increased significantly during this time. I contacted the company three times and sent photos, but the company representative did not resolve the issue. I now use only the brand name Butrans and pay a higher co-pay. I feel that the company should, at least, reimburse me for the defective patches."

• Tiwoh...
• February 18, 2013

Butrans (buprenorphine) "Butrans works. I have a hard time finding medicines that work, but plainly put, this works. It does come with a price, however, the patches are sometimes hard to keep on, showering becomes a true chore, the NextCare patches (to cover and waterproof the Butrans patch) are expensive and only last a few days. I wore Butrans for almost a year and in some places, it has scarred me - leaving an outline of the patch on my skin. Also, the patch can itch MADLY in some places. Finally, you must choose your location PERFECTLY or the patch will 'bubble' up or develop waves where the medicine is not making contact with your skin. Again, this patch works."

• Love...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 11, 2020

Belbuca (buprenorphine) "I took Belbuca for the first time. 75 mcg was not good, so many side effects, including stomach pain, couldn't walk, coughing, confusion, sore throat, and couldn't sleep, and more, and my pain got worse. This is not a good medication for me."